STS-96

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem STS-96
Mission dates
Mission: STS-96
COSPAR-ID : 1999-030A
Crew: 7th
Begin: May 27, 1999, 10:49:42  UTC
Starting place: Kennedy Space Center , LC-39B
Space station: ISS
Coupling: May 29, 1999, 04:23 UTC
Decoupling: June 3, 1999, 10:39 PM UTC
Duration on the ISS: 5d 18h ​​15min
Number of EVA : 1
Landing: June 6, 1999, 06:02:43 UTC
Landing place: Kennedy Space Center, Lane 15
Flight duration: 9d 19h 13min 57s
Earth orbits: 154
Track height: 320 km
Covered track: 6.0 million km
Team photo
v. l. No. front: Kent Rominger, Ellen Ochoa, Rick Husband; back: Daniel Barry, Julie Payette, Valeri Tokarew, Tamara Jernigan
v. l. No. front: Kent Rominger, Ellen Ochoa, Rick Husband;
back: Daniel Barry, Julie Payette, Valeri Tokarew, Tamara Jernigan
◄ Before / After ►
STS-88 STS-93

STS-96 ( english S pace T ransportation S ystem ) is the mission designation for a flight of the US Space Shuttle Discovery ( OV -103) of NASA . The launch took place on May 27, 1999. It was the 94th space shuttle mission, the 26th flight of the space shuttle Discovery and the second flight of a shuttle to the International Space Station (ISS).

team

Mission description

The Discovery brought more than 2.1 tons of equipment to the construction site of the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, various maintenance and repair work was carried out in both modules. First, the shuttle coupled to the station on May 29, 1999 at the Unity module . The spacecraft approached the station from above.

The following day, Jernigan and Barry got off the shuttle for 7 hours and 55 minutes and installed two cranes ( Strela and ORU, respectively), which were needed to move larger loads when expanding the station. In addition, two small, portable platforms were installed on which future outboard fitters can safely stand. They are provided with holders for the shoes of the spacesuits. Finally, several tool bins were attached, a thermal cover installed and an antenna for the Early Communication System checked. The materials were housed in a special container in the Discovery's cargo bay.

International Space Station after Discovery undocked

On May 31, the hatches between Discovery and ISS were opened. On the following days, around 1.8 tons of equipment, water and furnishings were transported from the SpaceHab double module in the Discovery's cargo bay to the space station. This included shelf parts, clothing, food, sleeping bags and medical equipment. At the same time, additional soundproofing was installed on the ventilation system of the Sarja module, charge control devices on batteries were replaced, the energy supply for the Early Communication System was replaced, air filters were cleaned and smoke detectors were checked.

On June 3, the orbit of the space station complex was raised using the Discovery's engines. Then the space shuttle uncoupled and circled the station again. Two days later, on June 5, the STARSHINE (Student Tracked Atmosphere Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment) small satellite was launched. This was a 50 centimeter large hollow sphere made of aluminum, which was pasted with small mirror elements. More than 25,000 students from 18 countries had polished the 900 or so aluminum mirrors that gave the satellite the appearance of a disco ball. The students followed the satellite's orbit from Earth and calculated the density of the atmosphere at high altitudes from the data. After eight months, STARSHINE entered the denser layers of the atmosphere on February 18, 2000 and burned up during its 4212th orbit.

The Discovery landed in Florida at night.

See also

Web links

Commons : STS-96  - album with pictures, videos and audio files